Still
by uneecrivaine
Summary: BRALLIE. "You will never accept loving me, Brandon, you will always have to be *in* love with me." Jude takes matters into his own hands with Liam and ends up in juvie. Oneshot about the short confrontation that takes place when Brandon tries to stop Callie from running away at night as an aftermath of said incident. Better than it sounds, RxR. Happyish ending.


"Were you just gonna leave without saying goodbye?"

Callie froze on the porch, debating whether she should just run now or stay and explain herself. She was never good at doing either of those things, so she just stood with her back facing him, wishing desperately that he would just go back inside and leave her alone.

But when she could still feel his presence behind her, she sighed, defeated. What was she thinking? It would be unlike him to just give up on her. Part of her felt grateful, another felt annoyed.

She turned to face Brandon, dropping her duffle bag in the process. Still, she couldn't meet his sad stare.

"I don't think you understand what I've done."

Shoving his hands in his pockets in his typical Brandon-manner, he shook his head. "I do."

Her inhalation was almost gasp-like and so sharp it could be heard over the rain that fell behind her. "It's my fault Jude's in juvie. He doesn't belong in there! And I got him sent there, Brandon!"

He made no move towards her, seeing as she was in a very delicate emotional state and didn't want to scare her off. Almost like trying to call over a lost dog.

It was almost as if the clouds in the night could sense her pain and were crying for her.

"You didn't do anything." He finally decided on, his voice soft, trust-building.

She shook her head, never once meeting his eyes. "I can't do this. Goodbye, Brandon."

Picking up her bearings, she turned hastily on her heel and jogged off the porch, the rain drenching her clothes in a matter of seconds. It was almost midnight, and Brandon was in his good jeans and sneakers.

But he followed her anyway.

She hadn't even made it out of the yard when he seized her by the elbow and pulled her into his chest. Her bag dropped to their feet and she was forced to meet his eyes, though she scowled as she did so. "Let me go, Brandon, and I mean that in more ways than one."

"I can't." He replied easily. "We're family, and family doesn't let family run away."

Her face seemed to redden with fury and she tried to push him away, pounding at his chest with her tiny fists. It did next to nothing in terms of moving him. "How can you even say that?! You know you've never wanted that, you've always wanted more!"

Suddenly fighting to talk louder than the rain, Brandon began to shout. "Of course I've always wanted more! There is no different scenario or situation we could've faced where I wouldn't fall for you!"

She seemed to lose some of her moxy, then, and she stopped struggling in her grasp. Nonetheless, her nostrils flared as he spoke, her eyes focused on the lips that seemed to move endlessly. "But if this is what we will always be, if this is the only thing we can be, then I can accept that. As long as I can love you."

Her scoff was barely heard over the rain that had them already soaked to the bone. "If you keep telling yourself that will you actually start to believe it? Because I never will. You will never accept loving me, Brandon, you will always have to be_ in_ love with me."

Somewhere, deep inside of her, she regretted that one. Fear bubbled up in her stomach. Had she hurt him? _Well now you've done it, Callie, you've finally pushed him away. _It amazed her she hadn't already done it with her numerous screw-ups.

But his expression told her otherwise. His features were almost relaxed, soft, with a voice to match. "Why does it kill you so much to know that someone actually cares about you?"

She tried once more to pull her arm free, but it was in vain. He was not letting her go anytime soon. "Because you're perfect, Brandon, and I'll just destroy you. I'll taint you."

Her tone seethed with bitterness.

"The fact that Jude is in juvie is not your fault, stop trying to convince yourself it is. He did what he did because-"

"Because of a choice I made a long time ago!" she cut in, gesturing with her features that she was making some point. "Every choice I make comes back to bite me in the ass! And it always seems to hurt the ones I love the most!" His lips parted to say something, but promptly shut together, watching as Callie appeared to be suddenly ill. She seemed to be holding back dinner. "I just...I just love you so much it hurts."

She met his solemn gaze, surprised to not see those eyes wide in shock. It was as if he knew the whole time, he was just waiting for her to admit it. Which was exactly the case, now that she thought about it.

Suddenly, her own dilated with fright. "Oh god, now I've done it."

"Hey, it's okay," he tried, watching her as her eyes cast to the floor, unsure now if she was crying or if it was still only the rainfall, "I know it's scary but-"

"Please, let me go," she begged, slowly bringing her head up to look at him, and it was then that he could see she actually was crying. "Please, Brandon, just let me go. I can't let you-"

"It's my choice, Callie, I love-"

"Don't say it again!" she screamed, shoving at him again. "I can't put you in danger! Nothing good can come out of me! Out of us!"

He managed to grab hold of her other wrist in the commotion and pulled her taught to his chest, temporarily stopping her freak out. "I would never do something so stupid. Yes, what Jude did was stupid, and it's not your fault. But even if it wasn't half your fault what happened with Liam, Jude would've done it, anyway. Because he did it out of love for you. And maybe instead of taking the blame, you should be accepting the action."

She was sobbing into his chest then, her wrists going slack in his grip. He could tell she was trying to get something out, but she could catch her breath long enough to do so. "Don't let Jude's efforts go to waste, Callie. Stay here, don't leave. Stay safe. It's what he wants. It's why he did what he did."

Between sobs, Callie managed, "How will I ever go on?"

"Like you always have." he offered simply, releasing her wrists. "It's only temporary."

Even with her wrists finally freed, she didn't move, and Brandon found himself wrapping an arm around her, pulling her tighter against him. "It's time you stop punishing yourself for things you didn't do."

She sniffled against his chest. "But-"

"Hey, it's okay to drop the tough girl act, Callie," he almost laughed, "you don't have to pretend to be strong for me, like you always do."

Her small body racked with shivers and sobs and Brandon decided it was time to take whatever remained of their conversation inside. Callie had given her answer without even opening her mouth, and Brandon had to wonder how even did it. Callie was the most stubborn girl he'd ever met and he was able to stop her from running away. It was a difficult feat, but rewarding nonetheless.

Once in dry, warm clothes, they situated themselves in the living room, where they could sleep in the same room without any suspicion from his moms. In the morning, he would have to tell them of her attempted escape, but she agreed it was the best thing to do.

"Brandon?" she called quietly from the sofa she lay sprawled out on, watching as he settled into the armchair in front of her.

"Hm?"

"You're the best big not-brother a girl could ask for."

In the darkness, he smiled. "At least we're getting somewhere."

"Baby steps."

**fin.**

_+5 cool points for those that review _


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